Donald Penman

Donald Penman is an Assistant Professor in the Geosciences Department at the Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Utah State University. His research focuses on reconstructing past climate systems, particularly during extreme warming events like the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), using geochemical proxies in marine sediments.

• Keywords: Paleoclimatology, Geochemistry, Carbon Cycle, Silicate Weathering, Ocean Circulation, Deep Time Climate

Recent work examines how variations in seawater chemistry influence elemental incorporation in calcite (2024) and links Earth's orbital rhythms to Deccan trap volcanism (2025). Publications also explore metamorphic CO2 release, ocean acidification during hyperthermals, and seafloor weathering of Large Igneous Provinces.

His research contributes to understanding long-term climate regulation mechanisms, including silicate weathering feedbacks and reverse weathering processes, with applications to both deep time climate transitions and modern climate change projections.